Washing-machine.



PATENTED JULY 7-, 1903.

A. A. JOHNSTQN WASHING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED r1113. '1, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

- 'IIIIIIIIIA'IIIIIIIIIII min/5555;

INVENTOR:

M JWZW ATTORNEY No. 733,211. 'PATENTED JULY 7, 1903.

A. A. JOHNSTON.

WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION ILBD ran. v, 1903.

WITNESSES: INVEIVTOR:

ATTORNEK rfw ELI/W ass UNITED STATES Patented duly 7, 196

ALEXANDER A. JOHNSTON, or INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

WASHING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 733,211, dated July 7, 1903.

Application filed February 7, 1903. Serial No. 142,291. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER A. J OHN STON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in XVashing-Machines; and

I do declare the following to be a full, clear,-

and exact description of the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to machines for washing clothes and the like; and it has reference more particularly to washing-machines that are adapted particularly for domestic or family use.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a washing-machine that may be 0011- structed of cheap and simple parts, a machine that may be easily operated and without injury to clothes, and that will be durable and economical in use.

My invention consists in a tub and a plurality of reciprocating pounders arranged in pairs geared so that the pounders of each pair shall operate alternately in opposite directions; and the invention consists also in the novel parts and in the combination and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter particularly described and then pointed out'in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings,Figure 1 is a perspective view of a machine constructed substantially in accordance with myinvention, showing two pairs of reciprocating bars for the pounders; Fig. 2, a transverse vertical sectional view of a pounder; Fig. 3, a longitudinal vertical sectional view of a pounder; Fig. 4, a centrallongitudinal vertical sectional view of the machine; Fig. 5, a transverse vertical sectional view of the machine as on a line X X in Fig. a; Fig. 6, a top plan view of the machine as constructed with three or more pairs of pounders, and Fig. '7 an end elevation showing a machine having three pairs of pounders and a crank-shaft instead of levers for operating them. The operative parts are supposed to be in the same positions in all of the figures showing complete machines.

j, through which the bars extend.

Similar reference characters in the several figures of the drawings indicate corresponding parts.

In construction,A designates a s uitable tub, a supporting legs, and B a trough having drainholes I) and adapted to support awringer. A wire screen O rests on the bottom of the tub or slightly above the same 011 suitable supports (1. The end of the tub opposite to the trough is provided with lifting-handles e and also with hinges f, to which is attached a tubcover D of suitable form and adapted to support all the operating parts. A flexible link 9 is connected to the tub and also to the cover thereof for holding the cover uprightly when open or raised from the tub. At the bottom of the tub is a drain-hole c, in which a plug may be inserted.

Upright standards E E E or as many as may be desired of such, are secured to the cover D and are usually provided with braces 71. Near the tops of the standards working beams F F F are centrally connected thereto, as by pivots 2', the beams being composed of parallel bars of iron and wooden blocks between the two bars of a beam. Parallel beams G G G are also centrally pivoted in a similar manner to the upright standards at lower portions thereof. A-horizontal tie-beam H is attached to the tops of the standards.

Reciprocating bars I I I I I l are connected with the ends of the working beams and also with the ends of the parallel beams, as by pivots n, and the cover D has apertures Each bar, as I, is connected to an end of a working beam, as F, and also to an end of ,a parallel beam, as G, mounted on the same standard, the two bars of each pair being disposed at opposite sides of the standard, The bars have pounder-feet, which will be further'described.

In some cases, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 4, 5, and 6, a pivot-block is is mounted on the Weights m are attached IOO to such of the reciprocating bars as may be required to overbalance the operating-lever J which is connected with the working beams by means of pivoted connecting-rods L L, the rod L extending from the pivot 11 of the lever to an end of the beam F, and the rod I, extending from the pivot 13 to the end of the beam F at the opposite end of the machine, so that the working beams have opposite movements. The lateral braces M and M are pivoted in the bracket Z and also to the opposite beams F F to the same pivots that connect the connecting-rods with the working beams, so that the braces M. M operate with the working beams and extend obliquely from the ends thereof, since the bracket Zis situated midway between the two standards that support the working beams.

The pounder-feet N N N N N N are secured to the lower ends of the reciprocating bars, above described, and the feet preferably have shorter ends or heels disposed toward the ends of the tub, so that the longer body portions of the feet are disposed toward the central plane of the tub, as indicated in Fig. 4. Each foot consists of opposite obliqueangled sides 1 and 2, having shank ends 3 and 4:, respectively, attached to the reciprocating bar by rivets or screws 5. Oblique-angled partitions 6 and '7 are disposed oppositely in the foot, so as to diverge upwardly, thus forming rather shallow pockets or shallow recesses 8 and 9 and an air passage or chamber T between the recesses, oblique-angled ends 10 and 11 being attached to the sides 1 and 2 and to the reciprocating bar, the ends having apertures 12 and 13 for the passage of air from the air passage or chamber above described.

In some cases when six pounders are employed a diagonal working beam 0 is centrally pivoted on a pivot-stand q, attached to the top of the beam H, the beam 0 being suitably connected at its ends with the beam F and the opposite end of the beam F thus eX- tending across the beam F and operating the beam F and the pounders connected there- 'with in unison with the beam F and its pounders.

In some cases when six or more pounders are employed the operating-lever J and coacting members may be dispensed with, in which case the working beams, the parallel beams, the reciprocating pounders, and other principal parts, as above described, will be retained and motion will be transmitted to the working beams by means of a crank-shaft P, mounted in bearings r 7' at one end of the cover D and having cranks Q Q Q and also a hand-crank s. A pitman Ris connected to the crank Q and also to the beam F, as by means of the pivot 71 or otherwise, in a suitable manner, and likewise a pitman R connects the crank Q and the beam F, and a pitman R connects the crank Q and the beam F so that the beams may operate alternately in opposite directions, and it will be obvious that various other mechanical movements may be employed for operating the working beams and the agitators in the manner described, and various motors may also be connected with either the operating-lever or the operating-shaft.

In practical use the cover D, carrying the operative parts, may be swung back on its.

hinges, so that the tub will be uncovered. Then the washing soap or solution and the clothes or other articles may be placed in the tub, the netting or perforated false bottom 0 holding the clothes up from the bottom of the tub, so that the washing fluid may circulate freely beneath the clothes. The cover D may now be lowered upon the tub and the mechanism be set in motion. As the working beams move, the foot N will descend, while the foot N will ascend, and at the same time every other foot at the side of an ascending foot will descend, and so the movements will continue, the fluid thus being forced through the fabrics and back and forth from end to end and from side to side of the tub. In the operation of the feet or pounders the air may pass freely through the chambers T and prevent undue resistance in descending and objectionable suction in ascending. The wash-water may be changed as often as desired with little trouble, and the articles may thus be cleansed without being injured through violent rubbing operations.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A washing-machine including a tub, a tub-cover, standards having each a plurality of pivots one above another, working beams mounted on the pivots in pairs one above another, reciprocating bars having each a plurality of pivots connected to a plurality of the working beams, connecting-rods piv oted to the working beams, and operating devices pivoted to the connecting-rods.

2. A washing-machine including a tub, a tub-cover, standards having each a plurality of pivots one above another, working beams mounted on the pivots in pairs one above another, reciprocating bars having each a plurality of pivots connected to a plurality of the working beams, connecting-rods pivoted to the working beams, operating devices ing-rods pivoted to the lever and also 'to opposing working beams, a tie-beam mounted on the standards, and lateral braces pivoted to the working beams and also connected pivotally with the tiebean1.

4. A washing-machine including a tub, a tub-cover, a plurality of standards, atie-beam connecting the plurality of standards, a pivotstand mounted upon the tie-beam, working beams pivoted to the standards below the plane of the tie-beam, reciprocating pounders connected with the working beams, and a diagonal working beam mounted on the pivotstand and connected with working beams at opposite sides of the pivot-stand.

5. A washing-machine comprising a tub, a tub-cover, a plurality of standards mounted on the cover,a stationary beam connecting the tops of the plurality of standards, a bracket ALEXANDER A. JOHNSTON.

lVitnesses XVM. II. PAYNE,

T. SILvIUS. 

